Retort charging and discharging device



June 18, 1946. Y 'B. A. SMITH 2,402,457

RETORT CHARGING AND DISCHARGING DEVICE Filed Aug. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 BENJAMIN A. SMITH K, N BY N ATTORNEYS I B. A. SMITH June 1, 3946'.

v RETORT CHARGING AND DISCHARGING DEV ICE 4 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14. 19 42 INVENI'OR.

BENJAMIN ASMITH June 18, 1946.

B. A. SMITH RETORT CHARGING AND DISCHARGING'DEVICE Filed Aug. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. BENJAMIN A.SM|TH ATTORNEYS June 18, 1 946. B. A. SMITH 2,402,457

RETORT CHARGING AND mscrmneme DEViCE I Filed Aug. 14, 1942 4 Sh eet s-She et 4 i INVENTOR.

BENJAMIN smm ATTORNEYS Patented June 18, 1946 2,402,457 RETORTV CHARGING AND msommemc DEVICE Benjamin A. Smith, Rocky River, Ohio, assignor to The C. 0. Bartlett & Snow Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 14, 1942, Serial No. 454,817

This invention relates as indicated to retorts such as are used in the treating of materials and pertains not only to the retort itself, but also to particular apparatus designed for the purpose of charging and unloading the retort.

The invention relates particularly to the type of apparatus wherein a charge of material, preferably a granular solid, is required to be maintained at an elevated temperature while being agitated for a predetermined length of'time, after which it is desired to remove the charge from the treating vessel and to introduce a new batch thereto.

features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth indetail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with th principles of my invention;

.Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, taken on planes substantially indicated by the lines 22;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a vertical plane, of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 and drawn to a slightly enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view ofthe apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 44;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the lefthand end of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3; and

charging mechanism generally indicated. at 2.

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-18) The retort mechanism l is illustrated somewhat more clearly by the vertical sectional view shown in Fig. 3. By having reference to Fig. 3 it will observed that the retort I comprises a masonry base 3 centrally housing and supporting a burner heating system comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending flame burners generally indicated at 4. A number of these longitudinally extending burners are employed, arranged in side by side relationship and each supplied withgaseous fuel by a separate conduit'such as 4a to 4]. These conduits are as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 all connected through suitable valving forming no part of this invention, to a common manifold 5. Supported in a manner hereinafter more particularly described, directly above the burners 4 is a retort generally indicated at 6, the same comprising a substantially cylindrical shell with however the diameter of its circular cross section progressively greater from the lefthand end to the righthand end so that the shell of the retort is actually the frustum of a cone. The opposite ends of the shell 6 are closed by heads l and 8 welded thereto at the point of juncture and the retort is supported and rotated by means as- Fig. 6 isa vertical sectional view of the appasociated with these heads.

- The head I for example has a circular bearing member 9 bolted thereto and resting on rollers Ill shown somewhat more clearly in Fig. 5. The rollers ID are carried on short shafts H mounted on sills I2 carried by the masonry base. A similar supporting ring 9a. is bolted to the head 8 and such ring 9a is carried on similar rollers Illa supported by the sills l2a.

' The body of the retort is housed in a heat insulating jacket generally indicated at l3, the shape and arrangement of which may be most clearly observed by having reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

Where the retort head 1 projects through the casin l3, it is provided with a recess filled with a. thermal insulating material It, and similarly the head 8 is provided with an insulating insert l5 which overlies the removable charging door I6, the latter being removably secured to the head 8 by conventional bolts.

Secured to the head I and extending axially thereof is a cylindrical bracket H which terminally supports an annular gear l8 which is in the form of a sprocket and about which is trained a driving chain I9. Such chain is also trained about the driving sprocket 20 of a speed reducing unit 2| powered by a conventional motor 22.

At this point it may be well to observe that during the operation of the retort the motor 22 will tion as viewed in Fig. 4, thebucket-like spaces defined by the lifting flights carry the material to nearly the top of the retort before it is showered down for the purpose hereinafter more particularly explained. When however during ,the major portion of the treating cycle the retort is rotated in a, counter-clockwise directionas viewed in Fig. 4, the material being treated merely slides over the lifting flights without being substantially elevated thereby. The lifting flights do however even during counter-clockwise rotation as just explained, aiford a certain amount of desirable agitation to the material, especially in the larger end of the retort where the bulk of the material occurs.

The head I is axially provided with a threaded opening into which is secured a pipe 24. This pipe or an extension thereof is rotatable in a stufling box25, the latter being connected to a conduit 26 through the valve 21. This conduit 24 may be utilized for the purpose of relieving pressures generated in the retort; maintaining a predetermined pressure in the retort either by bleeding pressures generated therein or actually introducinga treating fluid to the retort; or may be utilized for the'purpose of filling the retort with a fluid medium'within which the treating operation takes place.

As previously indicated, the solid material to be treated in the retort is introduced through the charging opening in the head 8 and for this purpose a special charging apparatus most clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 has been provided.

Positioned alongside the masonry base 3 on which the retort is supported and housed in the manner previously described, is a framework generally indicated at 30, the purpose of which is to support in an elevated position a trackage 3| on which the charging apparatus generally illustrated at 2 is movably supported.

This charging apparatus comprises a carriage consisting of a base frame generally indicated at 32, mounted on wheels 33, running on the track 3!, On the base frame 32 is mounted a screw conveyorgenerally indicated at 34, the latter comprising a cylindrical tube housing a rotating shaft 35 on which is positioned a helical blade 36 according to conventional screw conveyor construction. The shaft 35 is journalled in spaced bearings 31 and 38 and driven in selected opposite directions by means of a speed reducer 39 and a conventional electric motor 40.

The screw conveyor 34 is open at its forward end at 4| and its rear end at 42. Intermediately of its open ends are spaced hoppers 43 and 44. If material is introduced intothe'hopper 44, selected rotation of the shaft 35 will cause such material to be moved to the right-and be discharged from the open end 42. Conversely, material fed to the hopper 4.3 will upon rotation of the screw conveyor in the opposite direction, cause such material to flow to the left in the screw conveyor and be discharged through the open end 4|.

Adjacent the open end 42 of the screw conveyor the base 32 of the carriagevcarries a housing 45 in which is arranged the cylindrical screen 46 supported by means of brackets 41 and 48 in the manner most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 on the shaft 35. The screen 46 is so positioned on the shaft 35 that material discharged from the open end 42 of the screw conveyor will fall onto the screen surface and upon continued rotation of the shaft 35 such material will either fall through the screen or progress to the right as viewed in Fig. 6 due to the fact that the screen cylinder 46 is of a slightly larger diameter at the righthand end than at the lefthand end.

The fines which fall through the screen are collected by the hopper 49 and discharged as a separate stream through the opening 50 into a container 5|. The coarse material which has not passed through the screen openings will be discharged at the righthand end of the screen and itis collected by means of the hopper 52 and discharged as a separate stream through the opening 53 into the container 54.

The operation of the foregoing apparatus may be briefly described as follows: With the retort empty, the first step is of course to charge the retort and this is accomplished by moving the charging device into the position illustrated in Fig. 6 with of course the doors removed from the open end of the head 8 of the retort. The screw conveyor will be energized so as to cause the material to be moved thereby to the left as viewed in Fig. 6, whereupon the material to be fed to the retort will be introduced to the screw conveyor through the hopper 43. This charging procedure will continue until a predetermined amount of the raw material has been introduced into the retort, whereupon the carriage 32 will be moved to the right withdrawing the screw conveyor or more particularly its tubular extension from the retort, after which the closures l5 and It will be inserted to occupy the positions illustrated in Fig. 3. For certain materials it may be desirable to simultaneously rotate the retort as the feeding progresses, however, this is usually not necessary. After the charge has been placed in the retort, the retort will be rotated for counterclockwise movement as Viewed in'Fig. 4 and heat applied thereto by means of the burners 4. Continued rotation of the retort in this counterclockwise direction will cause the material to be thoroughly agitated inside the retort as it is subjected to the heating by means of the burners 4. The slight amount of incline of the lower surface of the retort 6 will not materially disturb the even distribution of the material being treated in the retort during the treating cycle. The slope of the lower edge of the retort for certain materials has been found to be best when on the order of about six inches in twelve feet.

Aspreviously indicated, any excess pressures generated in the retort may be relieved through the conduit 24 or a suitable atmosphere may be maintained in the retort by the introduction of fluid through theconduit 24.

At the conclusion of the treating cycle, the retort is first stopped and the closures l5 and I6 removed. The charging and unloading device is then moved back into the position illustrated in Fig. 6 and rotation of the retort begun in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. At this stage of the procedure the screw conveyor 34 will be so energized as to cause material to be moved toward the right as viewed in Fig. 6. -As the solid treated material'is elevated by the lifting flights 23, it is spilled into the hopper 44 at the forward end of the screw conveyor from which -of a fan 58.

point the screw conveyor carries the same to the classifying screen 46 by which it is split into the two streams fed to the containers and 54.

The apparatus of my invention is designed for use in connection with many processes and for the treatment of many materials, so that it is believed unnecessary to refer particularly to any specific material which may be advantageously treated thereby.

The temperature within the retort may be rather accurately controlled by means of the burners 4 and such temperature may be observed by means of a thermo-couple positioned in the thermo-couple well 55 most clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. As likewise illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the base 3 directly underneath the burners 4 may be provided with a passage 56 leading to a plurality of small vertical passages 51 through which air may be introduced to the space below the retort, as for example by means A stack outlet 59 is provided at the upper side of the .casing l3 forthe dual purpose of carrying off the products of combustion, and for the purpose of venting the air which may be circulated through the casing by means of the fan 58.

During the heating cycle, that is, while the burners 4 under the retort are lighted, the'fan 58 will be stationary. At the conclusion of the heating cycle, it is many times necessary, in connection with certain types of materials being treated, to rather rapidly cool the charge in the retort. This can be accomplished by energizing the fan 58 which will cause-a flow of cold air through the chamber defined by the casing l3 in which the retort 6 is located. During such flow of cold air, the retort 5 will preferably be rotated so as to cause an even cooling of the material contained therein. The air introduced by means of the fan 58 passes upwardly through the stack 59.

In the drawings, and throughout the foregoing description, the conveyor shown embodied in the illustrated form of my invention has been shown and described as a screw conveyor. It will be obvious to those familiar with the art that other forms of conveyors may be used. For

example, an endless belt, a drag link, or other.

forms of conventional conveyor mechanism may be used instead of the screw conveyor which hasbeen illustrated.

The screen 46 has been described as substantially cylindrical. As a matter of fact, best results will be secured if such screen is in the form of a frustrum of a cone so that the material to be classified, fed thereto at the left end of the screen, will progressively pass to the right over the inner periphery of the screen with the fine falling through their discharge through the opening 50 and the coarse particles being discharged at the right edge for discharge through the opening 53.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore, particularly .point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In material treating apparatus, the combination of a retort arranged with its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, said retort having a progressively smaller diameter from one end to the other, means supporting said retort for rotation in opposite directions about its longitudinal axis, material lifting flights in the larger end of said retort and adapted to pick up and shower material during only one direction of .rotation of said reort, a charging and unloading opening in one end of said retort, a charging and unloading device for said retort comprising, a conveyor, means for driving said conveyor in opposite directions, a charging hopper for feeding said conveyor when operating in one direction and a charging hopper for feeding said conveyor when operating in the other direction, said conveyor provided with discharge openings adjacent its opposite ends, the external one of said openings being guarded by a substantially cylindrical screen, delivery chutes arranged to intercent and deliver in spaced streams the material thus classified, and a carriage supporting said charging and unloading assembly for movement 'along the line of thelongitudinal aXis of said conveyor, whereby the front end of said conveyor may be projected through the said charging and unloading opening into said retort with one of said charging hoppers thereof in vertical alignment with said material lifting flights and with the other of such charging hopperson the outside of said retort.

.2. In material treating apparatus, the combination of a retort arranged with its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, said retort having a progressively smaller diameter from one end to the other, means supporting said retort for rotation in opposite directions about its longitudinal axis, material lifting flights in the larger end of said retort and adapted to pick up and shower material upon rotation of said retort, and means in common. for conveying material into and conveying material out of said retort, including a reversible drive and a hopper movable into the retort to receive material showered by the retort.

3. In material treating apparatus, the combination of a retort arranged with it longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, said retort having a progressively smaller diameter from one end to the other, means supporting said retort for rotation in opposite directions about its longitudinal axis, material lifting flights in the larger end of said retort and adapted to pick up.

and shower material during only one direction of rotation of said retort, and means in common for conveying material into and conveying material out of said retort, including a reversible drive and a hopper movable into the retort to receive material showered by the retort.

BENJAMIN A. SMITH. 

